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The website of Sarah Liberman, containing a blog, gallery, recipes, and discussions about books, comics, food and software.Fri, 28 Dec 2018 00:46:48 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.3The Grand Remodel two years later: suggestions and advicehttps://iwaruna.com/2012/04/07/the-grand-remodel-two-years-later-suggestions-and-advice/
Sat, 07 Apr 2012 18:09:05 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=1206So. Two years have gone by since the completion of our Grand Remodel. Overall, I must say that while it was traumatic at times, we are both very relieved it is finished(*). I was going to have this post go over some suggestions on how to wrangle out the contract between you and you potential contractor. But I decided to simplify it:

(*)As mentioned in earlier posts on the topic, work on a home is never truly finished. But projects do wrap up, and we’re sure glad to have an excellent modern kitchen, plus another bathroom, among other things!

First things first: some advice on remodeling

Three key things we learned:

Get as detailed a bid as possible.

Know what you want, to the highest detail as you can muster.

Keep track of stuff. Really. By calendar and email, at the least.

A detailed bid is the proposed contract. It becomes a legal document, but that does not mean it’s completely set in stone. Things do change; use the contract as a guideline, as its existence is to guide and help both you and the contractor. We found that contractors really appreciate it when you know what want and can clearly express it, e.g., “We’d prefer plywood in our cabinets if it’s within our budget. We also like Shaker-style woodwork.”

A detailed contract is important. It should look like a highly informative technical specification, which it is in a way, but with prices. A complex contract similar to our Grand Remodel should include information on dimensions (including any diagrams and/or blueprints to follow), tradework needed (plumbing, roofing, etc.), rooms affected, materials, and even make and model of appliances and fixtures, if you have an idea of what you want.

One item I’ll mention is specificity regarding site clean up at end of each work day. Our contract stated “sweep clean” which we found out literally meant sweeping with a broom. This sounds okay at first glance, but in hindsight we should have specified “vacuum clean,” as sweeping involved stirring up a lot of dust (bad if you have any allergy or breathing issues), as well as the mere sweeping small debris like wires and nails in between and down beneath the subfloor. That’s right, we now need to wear some armor when we want to go into the crawl space. It’s pretty much the contractor version of sweeping dust mice under the rug or bed.

Nevertheless, it is realistic that you won’t know precisely what you want in every situation, and that you could change your mind on some aspects of the project. Because of this, the contract should clearly explain the contractor’s change order policy. Change will happen, whether it’s a different oven model or relocation of a door. Not all change orders would or should incur penalties, such as swapping similarly priced tile or a different color of paint — but they might if your decision occurs at the last moment, or with the discovery of previously unknown house defects.

Do research where you can, as early as you can manage. Search the web, make use of your local library. Scour trade shops for ideas; e.g., see my fixture and vendor suggestions below. For example, here are several of the books I had suggested.

Knowing what you want will give you a more realistic budget in the contract. The less you know, the more likely a contractor will bid the cheapest possible materials, appliances or fixtures. Speaking of budgeting, use your favorite spreadsheet and break out costs for various sections of the contract, including trade, materials, appliances and fixtures. Keep track of them, too. We found that going 20% to 30% over an initial budget was within our comfort zone. And the cost will almost always end up higher, whether due to changes (“Oh, I want that tile instead”) or adaptations (“Looks like we need higher grade drywall in this room to satisfy state fire code and energy requirements”).

Of course, also do research on the recommendations you get from friends, family or colleagues. Compare what you see Angie’s List, or yes, even Yelp. Become suspicious if the recommendation comes from company-sponsored sites like Diamond Certified: double-check if such a company is well-rated elsewhere at more consumer-oriented sources like Angie’s List. Also, don’t wholeheartedly take in recommendations along the lines of “My sibling can do that work” or “My neighbor is a contractor who’ll do that.” Make sure their recommendations are actually for work completed, balanced with reviews from neutral parties. Besides, how comfortable would you feel living next to a neighbor who botched up a project on your time, home and money?

Finally, keep a detailed calendar of the project. Enter in projected dates and lengths of time for completion — then add or edit what actually occurred, as you would with the budgetary spreadsheet. It’s good not just for comparison, but gives you and the contractor a better idea as to scheduling. Google Calendar works, and is handy if the contractor is willing to use it. Otherwise, keep a local calendar of goings on. Most importantly, keep track of communications. We used email, and it not only helped us keep track of things for ourselves, but also kept contractors in the loop and, in some cases, honest.

Yay, recommendations!

We loved our cabinet maker and solar panel installer. They were thorough, knowledgable, easy to work with and friendly.

California Casework (408.979.9091) for cabinetry. Owner Cliff Scott is great to work with, as are his employees at the shop and onsite. Coordinated well with the general contractor. Great advice, and awesome, thorough and timely work. Advice addendum: We learned from both Cliff and some friends (thanks again, Anita!) that instead of installing rollout drawers inside of undercounter cabinets, just install pot drawers there instead. Much more stable, easier to use, and more space efficient!

Cobalt Power Systems (650.938.9574) for photovoltaic roof system. Owner Mark Byington originally trained as an engineer, and was great at patiently explaining, documenting and projecting our solar electric needs. We got a beautiful SunPower system, and his office handled all the rebate/utility paperwork, with minimal effort on our part. Also coordinated very well the general contractor and roofers. His employees, licensed electricians, did the installation. Advice we learned: Be wary of solar installers who subcontract out their work; a friend of ours learned the hard way how such people can become unaccountable when bad things occur, like defective panels causing fires (ouch!).

C&S Carpet and Flooring. They did a great job installing Marmoleum Click in the kitchen. They were friendly and patient when the general contractor failed to properly level the subfloor, and in the end successfully installed the flooring we wanted. Unfortunately, it’s unclear if they’re still in business as their website appears down.

Tile & Grout King (408.930.8453). They didn’t do the original installation of the tile work, but they sealed the new tile and restored (i.e., cleaned out and replaced) the moldy grout from a previous installation. We’ve had them back again earlier this year, to replace failing caulk in the shower stall and apply caulk-grout between the kitchen’s tile backsplash and quartzite counter.

Give them your business, if you need similar projects done. In addition, here are some vendors of fixtures and appliances we recommend:

University Electric, Santa Clara (800.675.7569) carry mid- and high-range appliances. With the exception of our refrigerator, we got all our new appliances from them. Note: They’ll deliver large items, but they won’t install them, so you’ll need a contractor or handyperson, or be willing to DIY.

The Tile Shop, San José (408.436.8877) and other locations. Excellent source of tiles, nice showrooms with helpful people, and they can offer free samples of some of their materials.

Build.com family of stores including FaucetDirect.com and LightingDirect.com. Great online resource for fixtures of all sorts (plumbing, lighting, ventilation, ceiling fans, handle sets, cabinetry hardware, etc.) at good prices.

Saratoga Plumbing Supply. Bathroom, sink and faucet fixtures galore! Very helpful people, too. They’ll deliver, but not sure if they do installation.

Cornelia’s, like Saratoga Plumbing Supply, has many bathroom and water-oriented fixtures to look at. They also have some handle set and cabinetry hardware to look at. Not sure if they offer delivery or installation.

Avoid these companies, really.

It’s sad to say, but sometimes one needs to go through a bad experience to avoid it again. But first, when it comes to issues and disputes with other people, I encourage you to be as civil and concise as possible with whom you work. Try to stick to facts and events, rather than gossip or hearsay. Things went badly at times, but I believe that keeping a level head when dealing with difficult situations really helped get things done, however slowly or aggravating.

In spite of impressing us (a great design, within our budget, friendly first impressions) and getting the contract, we would NEVER recommend the general contractor we had, Critchfield Construction; they also have a sister company Los Gatos Remodeler.

Why? The short list:

They created a Google calendar, which was great, and kept it up to date — until the last few months when things really slowed down. Then they stopped updating the calendar, stopped responding to our emails in a timely fashion, and then suddenly deleted the calendar. Then they moved to an in-house calendar system which held the data on their sister site, including messages, rather than previously allowing us direct email.

Their designer, Nickolas Sosa, while helpful as an interior designer, was a dreadful project manager. For example, there were times he requested for payments that either we had originally bargained down (tracked in email), or for work not performed or completed. When we pointed these out to him (e.g., including previous emails, citing details in the contract), the response was “Sorry, this is not negotiable.” Excuse me? A sign of very poor business integrity, indeed.

The contract had a penalty clause whereby they’d pay us for additional time they took to complete our project. They requested a change order to extend the period to avoid the penalty, despite the fact that most of the delays were their fault, and threatened to stop work if we didn’t sign to agree to such a change order. Er, breach of contract?

Messy demolition resulting in broken bits of glass that we’ll continue to pick out of the yard over the course of our lives here. We’ve had windows replaced in the past, so we know that windows can be removed without shattering them into many bits throughout our property.

Very slow to haul away large piles of debris.

Example A of avoidable mistakes: Installed the shower pan incorrectly. This confused so many subcontractors (the plumber, drywall installers, shower installers as well as the tile installer), that it caused yet more delays.

Example B of avoidable mistakes: Not leveling the kitchen subfloor, a requirement for the material we chose, even after several inquiries. The flooring installer showed up with the materials he had ordered for us, but had to leave because the subfloor had NOT BEEN FIXED. He was frustrated to the point where he asked us whether or not he was supposed to do the work. (We told him yes, and once again repeated the cycle of requesting the subfloor work from Critchfield and rescheduling the floor subcontractor.)

Bad-mouthing other contractors. We asked about going with a different roofer, and they “advised” us not to use them because of apparent issues with not having a valid license, and supposedly being in and out of business. We checked the records at the Contractors State Licensing Board, and found that the roofer had valid licenses and bonding. In addition, we had excellent references from both Angie’s List and friends who worked with them — contrary to what the people at Critchfield claimed. Spreading rumors and lies is downright unprofessional.

The owner Ricky Critchfield never visited our site — until we needed to resolve points (2) and (3). Then he came over, and we negotiated: he honored what was agreed upon over email, didn’t delay construction any further, and gave us some credit for the time-over-projected-schedule. But wow, to have to wait that long (the project was 85% to 90% done at that point) to actually show up at our house merely exhibited where his priorities were not.

The delays, the lack of communication, and avoidable errors not only upset us, but also upset some of the subcontractors. Poor communication is poor business, for all businesses and clients involved.

Not all the subcontractors Critchfield hired were bad, but some were particularly horrid. To these companies we also say, avoid like the plague:

Thomas Electrical, Morgan Hill. Our electrical plans were detailed, but their work was shoddy, and we lost count of the times we had to email or call to see when they’d return to finish a task. They were also very sloppy, often leaving a mess (wires, drywall bits, etc.) wherever they worked.

Drywall Art, San José. Horribly, sloppy work. We wanted to match the crows’ feet texture of our wall. One worker showed me an early example in the bathroom, and I said, “This is perfect; that’s what we want on the rest of the walls.” I thought that would suffice. Instead, large sections of the hallway, entryway and back room look like Cthulhu had a seizure and vomited. Even though drywall work is messy work, they were particularly bad, neglecting to place dropcloths, and trodding drywall dust and mud over the new floors.

The stucco work by men hired by Critchfield failed to match the existing stucco style. They also dumped excess concrete into holes in our garden, rather than hauling it off.

The handymen Critchfield hired utterly failed to install the oven. Simon ended up doing that himself.

]]>The Grand Remodel: Remaining bits and bobshttps://iwaruna.com/2010/04/02/the-grand-remodel-remaining-bits-and-bobs/
https://iwaruna.com/2010/04/02/the-grand-remodel-remaining-bits-and-bobs/#commentsFri, 02 Apr 2010 17:23:44 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=948Did you think we’d be finished finished? Ho, ho, ho, no, because tweaks and projects never really end for a home. We still have our own set of tasks we’d like to complete by, oh, sometime this year:

Furniture. We need a sofa, a dining table, and MOAR chairs.

Window blinds. Including one for the sliding door, which hopefully won’t be a pain to operate.

A new front door. We ordered it, but since the door is custom-made, it’ll arrive sometime in May or June.

Shelves, etc. for organizing the pantry and hallway closet.

Bookshelves and hanging pictures.

Painting the exterior of the house.

Painting a couple more rooms inside the house.

A much better toaster oven.

Unpacking (and re-storage) that never seems to end.

…Not to mention lots of cleanup.

If you have any favorite or recommended vendors or products for the above, online or brick and mortar, please do share! (I predict visits to the Container Store will exist in my future.

]]>https://iwaruna.com/2010/04/02/the-grand-remodel-remaining-bits-and-bobs/feed/1The Grand Remodel: The Construction Phase, week 26https://iwaruna.com/2010/03/28/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-26/
https://iwaruna.com/2010/03/28/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-26/#respondSun, 28 Mar 2010 23:06:46 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=942This week our remodeling project passed final inspection! Moreover, the general contractor hauled off the last of the debris, had the port-a-loo taken away, and removed their scary-big sign from our front yard. Yes, quite relieving.

In terms of construction, the new bathroom is officially functional with its new shower door and medicine cabinet.

The refrigerator was finally moved into the kitchen, and its various waterlines connected. Simon did an awesome job of leveling the beast, as well as attaching the wooden panel. Like the dishwasher, it possesses a panoply of lights and sounds. Although it doesn’t trill every time we open a door, thankfully.

There’s still some carpentry remaining, namely getting more door moulding, and fixing the pocket door between the kitchen and den-entryway so it doesn’t bang about and get damaged. The carpenter did construct a code-compliant landing in the garage; it’s rather large, but at least it’s useable. As for remaining punch list items…well, most of them are either taken care of, or fall into the we’ll-deal-with-it-later-somehow basket.

I did decide to hire a cleaning service to wipe away the sawdust and other construction dust from the remodeled areas. So worth it, because I now cough significantly less.

Clean, but for how long? Answer: Less than 24 hours.

You may see more photographs at the gallery. With four pages of albums for this project, here’s a link to week 26.

]]>https://iwaruna.com/2010/03/28/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-26/feed/0The Grand Remodel: The Construction Phase, week 25https://iwaruna.com/2010/03/21/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-25/
https://iwaruna.com/2010/03/21/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-25/#respondSun, 21 Mar 2010 20:03:25 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=935The 25th week of construction included more carpentry, final cabinetry bits, hauling off of more debris, and finishing of the white oak flooring.

The backyard landing was finished, and mouldings for new windows and some doors were installed. Sadly, it turns out the garage steps don’t meet city code, and will need to be rebuilt as a 3-foot landing with steps.

In addition, final work on the cabinets was completed, now that the kitchen flooring is finished. This consisted of corner piece trims and base shoes.

Added base shoe to the cabinets’ toe kicks.

You may see more photographs at the gallery. There are four pages of albums for this project, so here’s a link to week 25.

Plumbing work brought us sinks, faucets, bathroom fixtures and a dishwasher. It’s great to have more than one working sink now, especially with all the counter space we have. More ways to wash things! More space for stuff! More than one toilet in the house!

We also got a lot of floor work done. Not only did we get white oak flooring installed in the living-dining room (to be sanded and finished later, after the wood acclimates), but we finally had Marmoleum Click installed in the kitchen!

More messy drywall work ensued while fixing the firewall within the garage, in order to comply with the building code.

Carpentry continued: Steps from the kitchen to the garage and some door trim were installed. We learned that we need a proper landing to the backyard to satisfy code requirements; part of that has been built, but is incomplete since the framers ran out of wood.

Another painting milestone reached: We made a quick decision on the color for the new bathroom, and Simon carefully prepped and painted the room.

You may see more photographs at the gallery. There are now four pages of albums for this project, so here’s a link to week 24.

]]>https://iwaruna.com/2010/03/15/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-24/feed/0The Grand Remodel: The Construction Phase, weeks 22 & 23https://iwaruna.com/2010/03/07/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-22-23/
https://iwaruna.com/2010/03/07/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-22-23/#respondMon, 08 Mar 2010 05:47:05 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=923The delays keep pouring in. Like a curve approaching its asymptote, our project ever so slowly nears its goal, over the exasperating, longer than expected passage of time. But I best leave disappointed reflection for a later entry, once the renovations are complete.

Week 22 saw only one day where construction work occurred: Some cabinetry fixes to accommodate the microwave and convection ovens, and tuning of the HVAC system. No name selected yet for the humongous heat pump.

During week 23 framers started a backyard landing (or steps) at the sliding door, but did not complete it because they were unsure if, for purposes of passing inspection and adhering to plans, it needed to be a landing or a set of steps. We had some more electrical work bits finished, which finally resulted in plugging in the ovens and an outlet for the kitchen ventilation hood.

In addition, the Swanstone shower surround was installed in the new bathroom! And after much delay, the kitchen subfloor has been leveled, ready (we hope) for Marmoleum Click installation.

You may see more photographs at the gallery. There are three pages of albums for this project, so here’s a link to weeks 22 and 23.

…And several more electrical bits hooked up — including HVAC! Well, the HVAC system needs a lot of tweaking — but, hey — except at a dorm back in college, I’ve never lived in a place with air conditioning. My Bay Area mentality still resists the idea, but our HVAC system has a heat pump, which apparently is more energy efficient than a conventional A/C condenser. Not only will there be no gas fueling the system, it will be powered by the juice squeezed from the future solar panels, however indirectly.

In addition, the contractors recently started to install the appliances, but due to a lack of prepping and missing parts, that aspect is temporarily on hold. Part of confusion is a notably absent inner metal shelf for the microwave to sit on top of the oven. Bosch shows it in their parts’ catalogs, but there is no part number or name associated with it. As if it shouldn’t exist! >:-|

Vent hood set, but not functioning — no electrical outlet, for one. But I like how it makes the kitchen feel more like a kitchen. And yeah, those bright white wall plates and receptacles will depart soon, to make room for the steel and dark grey bits (sample near left).

You may see more photographs at the gallery. There are three pages of albums for this project, so here’s a link to week 21.

]]>https://iwaruna.com/2010/02/21/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-21/feed/0The Grand Remodel: The Construction Phase, weeks 19 & 20https://iwaruna.com/2010/02/13/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-19-20/
https://iwaruna.com/2010/02/13/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-19-20/#respondSun, 14 Feb 2010 03:57:12 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=909Not much progress over the last two weeks. The final stucco coat was at last applied, and several components of the HVAC system were put in place: heat pump, register covers, thermostat, lines tested with nitrogen gas and refrigerant (result: no leaks, yay!). But we still have no centralized heating, because the electrical work is incomplete.

My, I’m large. What will you name me?

To add to the list of setbacks: We had told the general contractor about the uneven nature of the kitchen subfloor, due to the transition between old and new parts of the house, and they assured us that the flooring subcontractor would be able to make it level enough to lay down the tiles. But when the sub arrived, the subfloor wasn’t properly leveled by their (the sub’s) standards. Thus another delay.

Let’s step back, this being 20 weeks into the renovations, to review the major tasks remaining to do:

Install plumbing fixtures in kitchen. It’ll be great to have more than one working sink on this property.

Install kitchen appliances.

Install the shower surround and shower door.

Install bathroom fixtures.

Correctly level kitchen subfloor, then install Marmoleum Click tiles.

Install refrigerator and its waterline.

Install and repair hardwood floors.

Finish installing interior doors.

Build wood landings for the garage and backyard.

Install gutter downspouts.

Install trim for windows, doors and baseboards.

The above list isn’t by any means comprehensive, of course. For example, it doesn’t include the punch list of minor items, such as debris to be removed, holes needing patching, and so forth.

As usual, you may see more photographs at the gallery. There are three pages of albums for this project, so here’s a link to weeks 19 and 20.

]]>https://iwaruna.com/2010/02/13/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-19-20/feed/0The Grand Remodel: The Construction Phase, weeks 17 & 18https://iwaruna.com/2010/01/31/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-17-18/
https://iwaruna.com/2010/01/31/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-17-18/#respondSun, 31 Jan 2010 20:16:40 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=888There hasn’t been much remodeling activity, in part due to the rain-rain-rainy weather. However, a few key things were taken care of.

We were happy to find a color for the living-dining room, then paint it ourselves. That just leaves the den-entryway, hallway and new bathroom — eventually. Also, we had two sun tubes installed in the new hallway, the darkest region of the house. They’re only 10 inches in diameter, but wow, do they bring in a lot of light!

In addition, the counter tops were finally installed, after some delay in either fabrication or shipment (or both). The result, though: beauteous.

Zodiaq and Caesarstone are two of the more popular brands of engineered quartz, but we lucked out by seeing samples of Legacy, a similar material by the Verona Marble Company. We wanted a dark grey, but not too dark, with a grain that was neither too fine nor too chunky. Legacy’s “Africa” fit the bill perfectly. For contrast, we got a lighter grey surface with the same variable granularity for the island counter tops, called “White Ash” by Caesarstone.

It was also good to finally get a door installed between the kitchen and garage, as seen in the above photo. The door really helps cut down on drafts, especially after Simon sprayed in insulating foam between its frame and the drywall. There’s still a sizeable gap at the bottom of the door, but that should be fixed after the floor is installed.

Unfortunately, the shower in the new bathroom had to be redone by repositioning the pan against the studs, so that the (future) surrounding surface will be flush against both the pan and the greenboard. (We learned that a shower pan should ideally go in before any greenboard, and of course before setting tiles. In our case, though, the shower pan was installed after the drywall phase.) This also means repairing the floors tiles that were so carefully installed a couple weeks ago.

Again, you may see more photographs at the gallery. There are three pages of albums for this project, so here’s a link to weeks 17 and 18.

They also completed the brown coat layer of the exterior stucco. We’re eager for the third and final coat to be applied, because then the gutters can be finished (downspouts would be handy in this weather), as well as get the HVAC running.

Another item from the past week, a particularly beautiful one IMO, is that Simon patiently wrangled our new network wiring chaos into a neat compartment. (Okay, so there are still some cables needing termination. But this is SO much better than our previous situation, which consisted of wires all over the place and haphazardly positioned devices. Interwebs, tellyvizhons and fonez, bring eet on!

Once again, you may see more photographs at the gallery. There are three pages of albums for this project, so here’s a link to week 16.

]]>https://iwaruna.com/2010/01/18/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-16/feed/0The Grand Remodel: The Construction Phase, weeks 14 & 15https://iwaruna.com/2010/01/10/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-14-15/
https://iwaruna.com/2010/01/10/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-14-15/#respondSun, 10 Jan 2010 19:50:25 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=870Not much occurred during the fourteenth week of renovations, other than installation of cabinetry toe-kicks and the shower pan in the new bathroom. We did, however, get most of our appliances and fixtures delivered.

The following week saw more activity: Second “brown coat” layer of exterior stucco applied, kitchen subfloor raised with 1/2″ plywood so that the cabinet height is more usable, the template made for the engineered quartz countertops, and some electrical fixtures installed, including lights, outlets and ceiling fans.

Lamp shades for the pendants will come later.

We’re now in the finishes part of renovations, which means going through another round of “hurry up and wait” — essentially waiting for materials and labor to be ordered and scheduled, respectively.

But speaking of finishes, we (well, mostly Simon) managed to paint the kitchen. Pretty easy (okay, except for the time in prepping), since there’s not much wall space remaining after cabinets and tile. The tile, though, will come after the counter tops, which will be next week, maybe?

Plus, here’s another cabinetry photo, because why not? At a glance the panels have a Shaker look, but up close you’ll see the inset trim which sets it apart from that popular style. Subtle, yet profound — for us, at least.

For the curious: The doors are a cope and stick inset style called “Denmark,” constructed from beech, by CalDoor. Our cabinet maker applied conversion varnish to give the wood a warm, durable clear finish.

Again, you may see more photographs at the gallery. There are now three pages of albums for this project, so here’s a link to weeks 14 and 15.

Crown moulding not yet installed. The upper corner diagonal cabinets will eventually have frosted glass doors. That mondo pipe is for the vent hood, right above the future cooktop.

The odd thing with paint primer is that while working, its odor doesn’t bother me. But once I step away for an hour or so, the fumes hit my nose and eyes like a truck. Gack. Fortunately, the primer seems to both dry and volatilize quickly.

I also learned that low or zero-VOC paints (e.g., Sherwin-Williams Harmony) really do make a difference if one is sensitive to fumes. They really are low in odors, and what smells there are dissipate rapidly — in a day or less, which is rapid in my book for wall-to-wall chemical application. Compare this with the non-low VOC paints (e.g., Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint), which still stank the following day, and gave me a massive headache. The main disadvantage (so far) with the low-VOC paints is that they’re more viscous, so a bit more difficult to spread on a surface.

White primer in the kitchen in the background, beige unprimed drywall in the foreground.

The kitchen cabinetry comprise the first truly attractive things we’ve had installed during the renovation. Mmmhm, natural beech wood and brushed nickel hardware. From time to time I find myself petting the drawers and doors, even though they haven’t been completely installed and adjusted.

Plus an island! Crown moulding is partially installed, along with some cabinetry hardware.

It’s mid-winter, yet the HVAC can’t be finished until the exterior stucco is done. The heat pump sits outside like a condenser, near the house wall, so any stucco work would mess it up. Thus we won’t have central heating until the new year. Brrr.

You may see more photographs at the gallery. There are two pages of albums for this project, so here’s a link to week 13.

]]>https://iwaruna.com/2009/12/28/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-13/feed/1The Grand Remodel: The Construction Phase, weeks 11 and 12https://iwaruna.com/2009/12/21/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-11-and-12/
https://iwaruna.com/2009/12/21/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-11-and-12/#respondTue, 22 Dec 2009 00:47:41 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=856The past two weeks comprised the “hurry up and wait” period of renovation, since the sheetrock, taping and plaster for texture took several days for each layer to dry before applying the next. But it was finally done.

Also, while it might not sound terribly exciting, the exterior new (and torn) bits got their first layer of stucco.

Once again, you may see more photographs at the gallery. There are two pages of albums for this project, so here’s a link to weeks 11 and 12.

]]>https://iwaruna.com/2009/12/21/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-11-and-12/feed/0The Grand Remodel: The Construction Phase, weeks 9 & 10https://iwaruna.com/2009/12/07/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-9-10/
https://iwaruna.com/2009/12/07/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-9-10/#respondMon, 07 Dec 2009 18:46:53 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=843With the shorter Thanksgiving week, not much occurred other than the Strong-Wall installation, and inspections for rough framing, rough electrical, rough mechanical (i.e., HVAC), and rough plumbing — all which passed. The following week the solar PV inspection passed, and we got a new smart digital meter, so the panels now feed the grid (albeit more slowly with the clouds). In addition, insulation was installed, as was the remaining exterior lath.

Pink and fluffy!

A couple large stacks of drywall were also delivered. They haven’t been installed yet — perhaps next week? Fortunately, however, it is drywall made locally.

You may see more photographs at the gallery. There are two pages of albums for this project, so here’s a link to weeks 9 and 10.

]]>https://iwaruna.com/2009/12/07/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-weeks-9-10/feed/0The Grand Remodel: The Construction Phase, week 8https://iwaruna.com/2009/11/23/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-8/
https://iwaruna.com/2009/11/23/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-8/#respondMon, 23 Nov 2009 19:18:44 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=835We had the solar panel and inverter installation three weeks earlier than expected, woohoo! The next steps include getting the City inspection (next week), followed by a smart meter and sign-off from PG&E (one to two weeks after passing inspection).

One of the trickier parts of the framing involves adding a couple more Strong-Walls (steel-reinforced shear walls). The open nature of the remodeled kitchen and dining-livingroom meant removing a load-bearing wall, which originally was an external wall. In order to literally load balance the building, the structural engineer indicated that additional shear walls be added to the existing stretch of that wall. Right outside our bedroom. The stucco has been removed, and now we can see sunlight peep through the small holes made. It seems to be fussy work, since the framers need to carefully drill into the existing foundation, for insertion of the shear walls’ mondo screws. Don’t want to crack the foundation, but also want to avoid hitting rebar, which could break the (rather expensive and ginormous) drill bit.

Due to scheduling wackiness, we now have a different carpentry (framer) subcontractor. We hope the framing work will be completed in the next week or two. But hey! These framers fixed the new bathroom window so it’s straight and lined up with the existing bathroom window.

You may see more photographs at the gallery. There are two pages of weekly albums, so here’s a link to week 8.

Below, the amusingly mysterious outlet behind the toilet, which was removed soon after this photo was taken. The electricians mistakenly thought the toilet was a high-tech heated unit. Wouldn’t you wish to contemplate the internet while sitting on a warm porcelain throne?

Once again, you can see more photographs at the gallery. There are two pages of weekly albums, so here’s a link to week 7.

]]>https://iwaruna.com/2009/11/16/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-7/feed/0The Grand Remodel: The Construction Phase, week 6https://iwaruna.com/2009/11/11/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-6/
https://iwaruna.com/2009/11/11/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-6/#respondWed, 11 Nov 2009 19:49:21 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=821Last week began with more rough plumbing, and support jacks on the addition’s roof for the solar panels. It ended up quite busy and productive, at one point with five sets of trades people (solar, plumber, insulators, framers, and roofers) onsite at once.

We finally got our spankin’ new roof! That! Should NOT! Leak!

In addition, the HVAC subcontractor installed the ductwork and registers, thus firmly pulling our heating (and cooling) system into the 21st century.

HVAC return in the hallway, a.k.a., the air intake.

Moreover, the temporary wall went away after the skylight and windows were installed. Hail to sunlight!

Once again, you can see more photographs at the gallery. There are now two pages of weekly albums, so here’s a link to week 6.

]]>https://iwaruna.com/2009/11/02/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-5/feed/0The Grand Remodel: The Construction Phase, week 4https://iwaruna.com/2009/10/25/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-4/
https://iwaruna.com/2009/10/25/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-4/#respondSun, 25 Oct 2009 19:56:56 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=810By the fourth week, I could smell mildew on a towel. Yech! I do change the towels more frequently now, but this just serves as further evidence of our (however temporary) lack of proper ventilation.

In spite of this and a bit more delay due to rain, the framers managed to build quite a lot this week: subfloor insulation and ventilation, the subfloor itself, frames for the windows, a frame for the kitchen peninsula, a start on wall sheathing, as well as a start on the ceiling — all within the dining-living room.

And there’s the beam, to go between the existing house and the addition. Just waitin’ for next week.

A garden view, through heavy eyebrows.

We’re coming upon our deadline for selecting finishes, which reminds me how much I can get frustrated with the creative aspect of design. I certainly have opinions when shown examples or choices, but boy do I suck at coming up with sensible patterns and color combinations. We’ve more or less decided on the counter surface, tile and flooring materials for the kitchen and bathroom. We’ll see whether they’ll fall within our contract’s allowances

]]>https://iwaruna.com/2009/10/25/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-4/feed/0The Grand Remodel: The Construction Phase, week 3https://iwaruna.com/2009/10/19/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-3/
https://iwaruna.com/2009/10/19/the-grand-remodel-the-construction-phase-week-3/#respondMon, 19 Oct 2009 17:41:09 +0000http://iwaruna.com/?p=802An observation from the third week: It takes about three weeks before I notice tea stains in the bathroom sink. This is in spite of the SanaGloss finish in the porcelain bowl. Oh well, baking soda here we go.

We didn’t have much visual progress this week, primarily due to the rains. The framers installed plastic sheets and tarp, and the roofers came out to batten down the felt paper. After the storm, we only had about a square meter of dampness (near the backyard, not near where we hang out, fortunately), which dried up in a few days.

Before the framers could continue, we had the subfloor plumbing installed. We need pipes for the new bathroom and kitchen, after all!

The plumbing work reminds me of something I dearly miss right now: decently tasting water. The paraffin (from flux in welding / soldering) and chlorine flavors REALLY drive me nuts. We can’t really attach a water filter to the bathroom sink or tub faucets, either. Sure, I could get flats of bottled water, but it goes against my waste reduction habits. And we’re rather short on room these days. Man, will I be happy to have those kitchen faucets installed. Perhaps sometime in December or January. :-/